Movie Ranches
Studio backlots and sound stages didn’t cut it when it came to western film. What to do? The answer – movie ranches - up until John Ford discovered “on location” in Monument Valley. Back in the ‘20s, 30s, and ‘40s land was cheap in California. Buy up a big tract in the Simi Hills, Santa Monica Mountains, or any old ranch and you’ve got yourself setting for a western film. Set ‘em up they did. In this series we’ll explore some of the more notable movie ranches, their histories, and sample some of the films made there.
Let’s start with Iverson Ranch. Why? ‘Cause that’s the accidental discovery that gave us this series. Iverson fittingly got its start in the 1880’s as Karl and Augusta Iverson’s 160 acre Simi Hills homestead on Santa Susana Pass. Iverson land holdings grew to 500 acres with 320 eventually making it into the movie ranch. Filming actually started as early as 1912 on the original 160 acre parcel.
With the rise of western film from the ‘30s to the ‘60s, Iverson became a go-to location for filming. The ranch featured hilly rocky terrain with narrow winding trails and roads ideal for chase scenes and gun battles. Scenes familiar to those of us who remember Republic Pictures serials and B western features. Gary Cooper constructed a western town on Iverson for a 1945 film he made on the property. It wasn’t all westerns though. John Wayne’s 1944 Fighting Seabees was filmed at Iverson.
The late ‘40s, 50s, and into the ‘60s saw Iverson make a memorable television run with half of its estimated 3,500 productions done for the small screen. We watched a ton of classic Iverson TV series including The Lone Ranger, The Roy Rogers Show, Gene Autry, The Cisco Kid, Tombstone Territory, Zorro, Bonanza, The Virginian, and Gunsmoke.
All good things caught up with Iverson in the mid ‘60s when construction of the Simi Valley Freeway divided the ranch into upper and lower sections. Highway noise put a damper on filming, paving the way for urban development. Part of the ranch has been preserved as parkland, including Lone Ranger Rock where Silver did his iconic rearing.
Next Week: Apacheland Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
Let’s start with Iverson Ranch. Why? ‘Cause that’s the accidental discovery that gave us this series. Iverson fittingly got its start in the 1880’s as Karl and Augusta Iverson’s 160 acre Simi Hills homestead on Santa Susana Pass. Iverson land holdings grew to 500 acres with 320 eventually making it into the movie ranch. Filming actually started as early as 1912 on the original 160 acre parcel.
With the rise of western film from the ‘30s to the ‘60s, Iverson became a go-to location for filming. The ranch featured hilly rocky terrain with narrow winding trails and roads ideal for chase scenes and gun battles. Scenes familiar to those of us who remember Republic Pictures serials and B western features. Gary Cooper constructed a western town on Iverson for a 1945 film he made on the property. It wasn’t all westerns though. John Wayne’s 1944 Fighting Seabees was filmed at Iverson.
The late ‘40s, 50s, and into the ‘60s saw Iverson make a memorable television run with half of its estimated 3,500 productions done for the small screen. We watched a ton of classic Iverson TV series including The Lone Ranger, The Roy Rogers Show, Gene Autry, The Cisco Kid, Tombstone Territory, Zorro, Bonanza, The Virginian, and Gunsmoke.
All good things caught up with Iverson in the mid ‘60s when construction of the Simi Valley Freeway divided the ranch into upper and lower sections. Highway noise put a damper on filming, paving the way for urban development. Part of the ranch has been preserved as parkland, including Lone Ranger Rock where Silver did his iconic rearing.
Next Week: Apacheland Movie Ranch
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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